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Postal Supervisor Pleads Guilty To Taking Bribes

Denny Robinson, the Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor at the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) Vehicle Maintenance Facility (“VMF”) in Detroit pleaded guilty today to taking bribes in exchange for directing repair and maintenance work to a private contractor United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today. McQuade was joined in the announcement by Joanne Yarbrough, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Major Fraud Investigations Division.

During a hearing this morning before United States District Judge Avern Cohn, Robinson, 36 of Brownstown Township, Michigan, admitted that between 2006 and 2010 he accepted over $50,000 in cash, two free cars, and free service work and car parts from Metro Diesel. Metro Diesel was a contractor located in Detroit that was paid over $13 million by the Postal Service for work repairing and maintaining Postal vehicles. Robinson had the responsibility to decide whether work on Postal vehicles would be performed by USPS employees or sent out to private contractors. He also had the responsibility to decide which private contractor would be used for work sent outside of the USPS.

Previously, on August 24, 2011, Jeffery Adams, 50, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bribery with the owner of Metro Diesel. Adams was the Manager of the USPS VMF in Akron, Ohio, and Adams had previously served as a Supervisor at the VMF in Detroit.

Also, on June 23, 2011, Mancer Holmes, 49, of Farmington Hills, Michigan pleaded guilty to conspiring with the owner of Metro Diesel to commit bribery. Holmes served as a Lead Automotive Technician at the USPS Bulk Mail Center in Allen Park, Michigan, and he served as a Lead Mechanic at the VMF in Detroit.

Based on his guilty plea and felony conviction for conspiring to commit bribery as a USPS Supervisor, Robinson is facing a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney McQuade said, “This guilty plea today clearly demonstrates the successful efforts of federal law enforcement to aggressively root out corruption by government officials and employees. United States government employees are public servants, and they must serve the public instead of serving themselves. This investigation demonstrates that such conduct will be discovered, prosecuted, and punished.”

Joanne Yarbrough, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Major Fraud Investigations Division said, “The overwhelming majority of postal employees are honest and trustworthy, but when that trust is betrayed the Office of Inspector General is committed to vigorously investigating the matter, as was demonstrated in this case. Successful prosecutions provide a significant deterrence to such crimes and I appreciate the strong partnership with the Eastern District of Michigan’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, specifically AUSA David Gardey.”

The case was investigated by agents of the Postal Service OIG. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David A. Gardey.